Forgiving As You Are Forgiven

Grace to You.org ^ | 1993 | John MacArthur, Grace Community Church

[metmom]

"Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. . . . For if you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions" (Matt. 6:12, 14-15).

An unforgiving Christian is a contradiction in terms.

It's possible to confess your sins and still not know the joy of forgiveness. How? Failure to forgive others! Christian educator J. Oswald Sanders observed that Jesus measures us by the yardstick we use on others. He didn't say, "Forgive us because we forgive others," but "Forgive us even as we have forgiven others."

An unforgiving Christian is a contradiction in terms because we are the forgiven ones! Ephesians 4:32 says, "Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you." God forgave us an immeasurable debt, saving us from the horrors of eternal hell. That should be motivation enough to forgive any offense against us, yet some Christians still hold grudges.

Here are three practical steps to dealing with the sin of unforgiveness. First, confess it and ask the Lord to help you mend the relationship in question. Second, go to the person, ask for forgiveness, and seek reconciliation. You might discover that he or she wasn't even aware of the offense. Third, give the person something you highly value. This is a very practical approach based on our Lord's teaching that where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matt. 6:21). Whenever I've given a book or other gift to someone who has wronged me, I've felt a great sense of liberty in my spirit. In addition, my joy is compounded because I feel the joy of giving as well as the joy of forgiving.

Don't ever let a grudge stand between you and another person. It will rob you of the full joy of God's forgiveness.

Suggestions for Prayer

Before praying, examine your heart. If you harbor bitterness toward another person, follow the procedure given above. Then pray, thanking the Lord for the joy of reconciliation.

For Further Study

Read the parable of the servant in Matthew 18:21-35.

What question prompted the parable? How did the king respond to his servant's pleading? What did the servant do later on? Why was that wrong?

[PeterPrinciple]

Forgiveness and repentance go hand in hand. When we see one, we should think of the other.

So if some one drives by or flies by and throws a blicket that hits me in the face i can not forgive them because i have no way of knowing if they knew it hit me and no way of knowing if they repented if they did know.

Well, i think i had better just wipe it off and forgive

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Well, I guess is depends on what is is. God says there is forgiveness of sins if there is repentance. You have the privilege of defining it differently.

If we accept God’s definition, what we do is something other than forgiveness or it is incomplete as best I can determine.

[ravenwolf]

If we accept God’s definition, what we do is something other than forgiveness or it is incomplete as best I can determine.

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Matthew 6:14–15
14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Now i wonder how i will explain to God that i did not forgive that man because i did not know if he had repented or not?

[ravenwolf]

And yet Christ Jesus did not follow what Luke is saying, when from the cross, Christ said, “Forgive them Father, they know not what they do.

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That is the best answer yet, thanks

[Freedom_Is_Not_Free]

You are welcome.

[PeterPrinciple]

Matthew 6:14–15
14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Mat 6:12 and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.

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These verses and others like it have troubled me. They don’t seem right as the standard when our eyes read it go to “us” and “you”. A non pondering read of these verses leads to us. But it shouldn’t take much thinking to know that God NEVER sets his standard on what we do.

SO, what is the deeper truth? Because God never lies. The standard is THERE IS FORGIVNESS OF SIN IF THERE IS REPENTANCE. This is Gods standard and should bring us to our knees in our relationship with him.

There is nothing better than having this COMPLETENESS OF FORGIVENESS with God. Unfortunately I am not there too often and it strains my relationship with God.

So we are left with

1) what we do is not forgiveness, it is something else. It saying the situation is not worth my time. It may be appropriate, shaking the dust from my feet and turning it over to God.

2) It is recognizing the true definition of forgiveness and knowing it is incomplete. I would call this grieving.

3) Get on our knees in our relationship with God.

Again thank you for the sword sharpening. I have much to ponder.....................

[PeterPrinciple]

And yet Christ Jesus did not follow what Luke is saying, when from the cross, Christ said, “Forgive them Father, they know not what they do.

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Again, read it slowly and let your lips move. Do not let your mind get ahead of the words.

Who are them?

Is it those at the crucifixion?

Is it all of humanity?

Is it Gods elect?

[rollo tomasi]

Were these Romans followers of Christ?

Remember, Christians are to judge other Christians, the rest left up to God.

Why? Because FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO.

"If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him."

As Christians we are not to abuse Grace or each other, hence the need to recognize, humble ourselves, and the repent. If not Christ instructs us NOT to suffer abuse from those who say they believe and then kick them out until they repent. Matthew 18:17.